Gov. Dannel P. Malloy speaks to a group of students and teachers at...

Lindsay Graham, right, 12, of Scarsdale, N.Y., who had asked several questions, applauded Gov. Dannel P. Malley's speech to a group of students and teachers at Eagle Hill School in Greenwich, on Tuesday, March 29, 2011.
Photo: Helen Neafsey

The children at Greenwich's Eagle Hill School seemed impressed that between his meetings with business leaders and residents around the state, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took the time to speak with them Tuesday.

Instead of discussing his budget plan, Malloy, 55, candidly described his lifelong struggle with dyslexia and how he was able to use his public-speaking and leadership skills to eventually capture the state's highest elected office.

The school serves students with language-based learning disabilities, and Malloy admitted he still has trouble writing, even when asked to sign autographs. Though he did not have much academic success until his junior and senior years of high school, Malloy said his mother recognized and encouraged him to develop his strengths as an oral communicator, and he gravitated toward politics.

"I was never going to win an essay contest, but if it was a speech contest, I would do pretty well," Malloy said.

Malloy encouraged the students to develop their own strengths, saying they had the advantage of being among educators and peers who understand their challenges. When Malloy was in school in nearby Stamford in the 1960s and '70s, he had teachers who would compare his spelling tests with those of students who got As, thinking that would encourage him.

When Malloy enrolled at Boston College in the fall of 1973, he said he was the first person to attend the school with a learning disability taken into consideration.

"People thought I'd never be successful in life," Malloy said. "I want you to understand that I've been there, and that this too shall pass, that you find a way to work through it, and if you can combine working through and developing the skills necessary to communicate and be successful, and if you see in your mission being the nicest, kindest, most giving person you can possibly be ... then you're going to be successful in life."

One student asked Malloy whether he still gets criticized for having a learning disability.

"I get called a lot of names," said Malloy, who faced a crowd of critics during a public forum at Eastern Middle School Monday night, "but nothing that has to do with having a learning disability."

Dave Kates, Eagle Hill's activities director, arranged Malloy's visit, which was helped by the governor's friendship with a current student's family.

"We thought it was a wonderful opportunity for the kids," Kates said.

As the children filed into the auditorium, a girl asked Kates, "How'd you get the governor?"

"The president's next," Kates quipped.

Students said they found Malloy's talk encouraging.

Though Hannah Katzman, 15, expected a boring lecture, she said hearing that Malloy still faces challenges related to his learning disability inspired her.

Malloy's talk also inspired Katie Nelson, a 13-year-old who is co-captain of the school's varsity field hockey team. Katie said she has recognized she is good at math, and Malloy renewed her drive to focus on her strengths.

"I thought it was really nice to hear from someone who has had a lot of success in his life, and how he overcame the challenges that we are dealing with every day," Katie said. "It sort of inspired us to try harder and we can do things that probably aren't within reach right now, but we can accomplish big things in the long run."

Staff Writer Lisa Chamoff can be reached at lisa.chamoff@scni.com or 203-625-4439.